Biography
Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas
With his theological insights and understanding of American Christian history, Rev. Thomas stands poised to lift up the banner of the Lord Jesus Christ to a generation that is forfeiting its destiny by disobeying God’s word.
Rev. Thomas spent six years as a traveling evangelist and two years as a pastor in St. Petersburg, Fl. In 1994, he became the assistant to Rev. Flip Benham, National Director of Operation Rescue/Operation Save America. Altogether, he has over 24 years of experience as a full time minister, public speaker, and writer.
His many publicized legal and political battles over the burning social issues of the day have gained him a unique platform for advancing the Kingdom of Christ in our beleaguered nation.
Through the Kingdom Leadership Institute, Rev. Thomas strategically makes an investment in the next generation. He trains young people with a vision of leadership times like these demand.
Rev. Thomas has a father’s mantle and spreads a patriarchal vision to reclaim the masculine identity that has been neutered by the feminization of America. He and his wife, Kendra Thomas, home school thirteen children in the Thomas Nation’s University of Righteousness.
A classically trained actor, Rev. Thomas graduated Magna Cum Laude from Los Angeles Valley College where he also received the prestigious Honor Chancellors Award. After his official training, he started in full time ministry with New Life Drama Company home based in Cleveland, TN.
In 1985, Rev. Thomas and his first wife, Liz, who passed away in August of 2005, started Elijah Ministries. Elijah Ministries is a teaching, preaching, and writing ministry dedicated to imparting a Biblical worldview to the Church of Jesus Christ that will provide the theological underpinnings to fulfill the “Great Commission.” The ultimate goal is to reform the Church to restore America.
In 1998, Rev. Thomas established the Kingdom Leadership Institute. The vision is to identify, equip, and send forth the next generation of righteous leaders-leaders who will become the repairers of the breach and the restorers of the right paths (Isaiah 58:12 & 61:4).
In 2000, Rev. Thomas founded and built a unique Christian/Pro-life park called Rachel’s Park Memorial in Waco, TX. RPM is designed to minister to post-abortive families. The name for the park comes from Jeremiah 31:15, which states, “Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.”
Rachel’s Park Memorial reinforces the value and dignity of preborn children and deals with the deadly wound abortion has afflicted against our children, family, church, government, law, and culture. According to Rev. Thomas, “At some point, America will be forced to come to grips with our complicity and complacency concerning this grave evil. We must therefore be prepared to adequately care for those devastated by this sin and crime.” The goal is to establish one park in every state of the union.
In 2004, Rev. Thomas, along with Rev. Flip Benham and a ministry team, which included some of their children, went on an adventure of a lifetime. They walked across America proclaiming a strong prophetic message. It marked the most arduous task in service to their Lord Jesus Christ and the preborn made in His image. They walked leading a donkey called Mercy, a white horse called Judgment, a broken set of the Ten Commandments, and an aborted baby. The long-term mission and living parable took over six months to complete.
Testimony
At the age of 17, Rusty joined the Army. He served as a M60-machine gunner in the 101st Airborne Division for 2 years. During his service in the Army, Rusty began to abuse drugs again. As a result of a drug overdose, he ended up in jail and in two mental hospitals. The military had written his mother to inform her that he had fried his brains on drugs and would be confined to a mental institution for the rest of his life. Seemingly at the end of his rope with no one to turn to God once again supernaturally intervened, delivering Rusty and completely restored his mind.
Since childhood Rusty had suppressed desires of becoming a professional actor. Thus after receiving his honorable discharge from the Army, Rusty decided to follow his dream and began making his way to Los Angeles, CA, to begin his training.
He enrolled at L.A. Valley College where he attended for 2-3 years. He earned his AA degree, graduating Magna Cum Laude. There he also received the Honor Chancellors Award. Rusty continued his schooling at Northridge University for one more year. During these years of schooling, he was being privately trained as well by Antonin Hodek, a mime artist from Czechoslovakia. Eventually, Rusty signed on with a manager from Colombia Pictures. His dream of working in a film career finally began to become a reality. Yet at the same time, his desire for God was growing even stronger. Through a series of compelling interventions by God, Rusty eventually died to his acting career to obey his Lord who called him into the ministry.
As a result, Rusty then became involved in the Hiding Place Church in L.A., where he was extremely active in the ministry of helps. He was first involved in prayer groups and street ministry teams. After 2 years of this ministry, Rusty sensed an unusual leading to go to small town in Cleveland, TN. Not knowing why, he simply obeyed. There he met Dave Woodrow and was soon involved in full-time ministry. This ministry was New Life Drama Company, a drama ministry that was associated with and sent out from New Life Bible College. This company traveled around the United States, Canada and Mexico where they passed out gospel tracts, went door to door witnessing and ministered in various churches, prisons, schools, fairs and on the streets. He traveled with the New Life Drama Company for 1 1/2 yrs. when he met his first wife, Liz.
The Ministry and Family
Elijah Ministries has started and trained several Christian drama teams that have served on the mission field in other nations. Some of the skits have been translated in different languages to reach people with the saving grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rusty has authored many plays, skits and gospel tracts as well as the monthly Elijah Ministries’ newsletter. (see Archives section)
Rusty pastored a church in St. Petersburg, FL called River of Life Fellowship for 2 years. He has also acted as interim pastor twice, once in College Station, TX and again in Tulsa, OK.
Rusty and his first wife Liz, were married on Dec. 7, 1985 and founded Elijah Ministries, which consists of teaching, preaching, writing, drama and pro-life ministry. Sadly, Liz Thomas went home to be with the Lord on August 3, 2005, after a valiant fight against cancer.
Rusty remarried Kendra Thomas and together raise 13 wonderful children who serve with them in the ministry and are home schooled through the Thomas family’s own University of Righteousness. The children stand faithfully with their parents on the streets and encourage other young people to do so. They serve in the home and minister themselves through the avenues of song, dance and drama.
In Waco, Rusty and and family are sent out from Church on the Rock. There they serve the local body and the community through various means of outreach. The most recent work has been to build Rachel’s Park Memorial, a Cemetery for the Innocents and a Memorial to the Unborn.
The Mission
Elijah Ministries is dedicated to impart a Biblical worldview to the Church of Jesus Christ that will provide the theological impetus to fulfill the Great Commission. The goal is to reform the church to restore America.
Elijah Ministries is devoted to challenging Christians everywhere to pray, believe and work for repentance, revival and reformation to sweep America.
Elijah Ministries
P.O. Box 3126
Waco, TX. 76707
